This application relates to hand-operated food grating devices and, in particular, to rotary drum-type graters of the type which are commonly used for grating cheese and other similar food products.
A number of different hand-operated rotary drum-type graters have heretofore been provided. Typically, in such graters there is a housing defining an open-top hopper communicating at its lower end with a cylindrical grating chamber in which is disposed a grating drum, rotatable by a crank mechanism attached to the drum at one end thereof for grating the contents of the hopper. A handle extends from the housing and is pivoted at its distal end to another handle which carries a press plate moveable into and out of the hopper between a loading condition, removed from the hopper to permit food items to be loaded therein, and a pressing condition, disposable in the hopper for engagement with the food to press it against the grating drum. The grating drum is open at one end and there is substantial clearance between the press plate and the sidewalls of the hopper to permit free and unobstructed movement of the press plate into and out of the hopper.
In use, the two handles are clamped together with one of the user""s hands for pressing the food items against the grating drum, which is rotated manually by the user""s other hand. The grated food products fall through grating openings in the grating drum into the interior of the drum for discharge from the open end thereof.
Because of the open end of the grating drum and the clearance space between the press plate and the hopper sidewall, the interior of the grating drum is exposed to the atmosphere. Thus, it is typically necessary, after each use, that the grater be thoroughly cleaned. Furthermore, the space between the press plate and the hopper sidewall may permit food items to pass therebetween in operation and not be effectively pressed against the grating drum.
There is disclosed in this application an improved food grater which avoids disadvantages of prior graters while affording additional structural and operating advantages.
An improved food grater includes a housing defining a food hopper having a peripheral wall structure. A grating mechanism is carried by the housing and communicates with the hopper for grating food contained therein. A press plate is coupled to the housing for movement between an open condition removed from the hopper and a closed condition disposed in the hopper for engagement with food disposed therein. Seal structure is coupled to the press plate and is disposable in sealing engagement with the peripheral wall structure when the press plate is in its closed condition.
The housing may define a grating chamber beneath the hopper in which the grating mechanism is disposed. The chamber is closed at one end by handle structure for operating the grater and is closeable at an opposite end by a removable cap so that the handle structure and cap may cooperate with the seal structure to effectively seal the hopper and the grating chamber.